The NY Giants enter Week 11 with a 7-2 record, with running back Saquon Barkley being the main reason why. He has played his way to a new contract, no doubt. However, will Joe Schoen and Co. give him the kind of money he wants?
In his first year running the G-Men, Schoen, who is expected to have well over $50 million in cap space next offseason, has built a roster that is not only competitive now, but also set up to be competitive in the future. The biggest decision Schoen will have to make in the coming months is whether or not to extend his superstar running back.
The franchise tag is likely headed Barkley’s way this offseason, but Schoen could elect to tag Daniel Jones instead. In that scenario, it’s not unreasonable to imagine Barkley in a different uniform in 2023. Here are four teams who could steal Saquon Barkley from NY down the road.
4. Buffalo Bills
With the Buffalo Bills, they may be the most likely team to obtain Barkley’s services should he leave New York. Currently, the Bills deploy a three-headed running back monster comprised of Devin Singletary on first and second down, and James Cook/Nyheim Hines on third down.
This offseason Singletary will be a free agent, and his NFL resume includes a clean bill of health and close to 3,000 rushing yards in his four seasons. It is fair to assume Singletary will get paid handsomely.
Buffalo will likely let Singletary depart, creating a major vacancy in the backfield. While the Bills don’t typically hand a running back a long-term contract, Barkley may be the exception. There was tons of buzz before the trade deadline that Buffalo had real interest in trying to acquire Barkley, and we see that resurfacing this offseason.
Buffalo did sign Von Miller to a massive deal despite some injury and age concerns, so we don’t think they would shy away from signing Barkley. The Bills are in win-now mode, and Barkley would certainly make Josh Allen’s job a whole lot easier. The urgency to ink Barkley could grow if the Bills miss out on the Super Bowl again.
3. Baltimore Ravens
It is fair to assume NFL defensive coordinators would never sleep again if Barkley signed with Baltimore. The pairing of Barkley and Lamar Jackson would be a matchup nightmare for NFL defenses.
The Ravens have seemingly committed to being a run-first team, and with the lack of talent the Ravens consistently trot out at the wide receiver position, it’s evident that their organization values running backs more then wide receivers.
The Ravens running back room is currently comprised of Kenyan Drake, JK Dobbins, and Gus Edwards. Drake will be a free agent at season’s end, while Dobbins and Edwards are both young unproven backs who both tore their ACL’s a season ago. To make matters worse, both have missed time again this season due to various injuries. It would not be surprising for the Ravens to want someone with more of a proven track record in the backfield.
If the Ravens sign Barkley, they will have the two most explosive rushers in the NFL on their roster. In that scenario maybe Baltimore should operate like a military school deploying the triple-option, and just run the ball down the throats of opposing defenses.
2. Los Angeles Rams
We all know Hollywood loves stars. In the last couple of years we have seen Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford, Von Miller, Odell Beckham Jr., and Allen Robinson all defect west to join the Rams.
The one position the Rams have failed to get a star at is running back. Right before the trade deadline, the Rams were reportedly locked in a bidding war with their rivals, the San Fransisco 49ers, to acquire Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers. Their own running back Cam Akers requested a trade, and his running back mate, Darrell Henderson Jr., has been an average NFL running back.
The Rams love to trade for stars, but this time they wouldn’t have to give anything up for one, as they could just simply sign Barkley. The Rams have very limited cap space, but always seem to pull of some magic to fit an unlimited amount of NFL stars on their roster.
The Rams are currently in the midst of a disastrous season and their 3-6 start is tied for the worst in the Super Bowl era by a defending champion. Los Angeles will likely miss the playoffs this season, which could inspire the franchise to making some high-profile additions this offseason.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Similarly to the Los Angeles Rams, the Kansas City Chiefs seem to be in the sweepstakes for every superstar that hits the market, and I doubt it would be any different if Barkley becomes a free agent.
However, similar to the Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs have been hesitant in the past to hand big money to a running back. When you have Patrick Mahomes, that is understandable.
It would not be a surprise if Andy Reid banged on the table for the Kansas City front office to go after Barkley. After all, Reid loved LeSean McCoy and built many of his Philadelphia Eagles team around the talented ex-running back.
Barkley would undoubtedly take pressure off Mahomes, and would likely somehow make Mahomes even better than he already is. We assume Barkley wants to win a Lombardi Trophy, and if you want to win a Super Bowl in the NFL these days, joining Kansas City is probably your best bet.